Website Additions

What would you like to see? All feedback and suggestions appreciated!
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Website Additions

Post by Rob Houghton »

Fiona1986 wrote:I agree it's difficult to strike the right balance sometimes. Often various points you really want to make have to be left out if you don't want to give away something crucial.
I totally agree. It's difficult when writing a review (I never even considered that mine were really reviews, but always thought of them as 'essays' dissecting the book - and intended for people who have read the book) to strike the right balance. It's a bit of a case of 'one man's meat is another man's poison' as some people like details while others just want a rough flavour of the book. As Walter Raleigh said, I usually read the reviews because I want to hear what other people have thought about a book I've read, rather than to find out if I fancy reading it.

I think it's quite hard to write about a book without revealing a good portion of the plot. I can understand not wanting to know 'who dunit' but what about a book like 'Mr Galliano's Circus' and the books that followed it? Do we want to know that Jimmy joins the circus, or that Lucky the dog gets stolen, or that the circus starts to break up in the final book? (sorry if these are spoilers! :lol: ). 'who dunit' is easy to avoid...but surely every aspect of a book is a spoiler?
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Re: Website Additions

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Yes, I know we've said this before, but quite a few of the reviews in the Cave were taken from the Journal and were written as in-depth literary analyses of the books for people who were already familiar with the stories, rather than as brief reviews for people who were yet to read the books. The point of them was to throw out opinions and thoughts, share background research, put the book into context, examine the style of writing, etc.

I started putting spoiler warnings on "reviews" in the Cave which reveal the plot, but I need to do some more. Will do so when I get the time.
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Re: Hello Mr Twiddle!

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Moonraker wrote:Terry's new review of "Hello Mr Twiddle!, in the Cave makes for interesting reading. I haven't read much (if any) of Twiddle..

I too have only read about 1 story of Mr Twiddle.

I was never introduced to Enid's books for younger children when I was a child, and just went straight on to read her mystery/adventure books, so sadly, many of her reads for younger children I just can't get into, or have a desire to read them. Sorry Enid! :cry:

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Re: Website Additions

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I do get the point about 'spoilers', and this is often a problem when I have taken things from the Journal. This is particularly the case with the Find-Outers' books and for that reason I removed a number of reviews by David Cook as he did tend to give the plot away. I see that Anita has also put Spoiler Alerts above all her 'Adventure' reviews.

As I said in my previous post almost nobody apart from Terry has done reviews specially for the website, but I think that all his reviews would pass the 'spoiler test' as he normally gives nothing vital away. It is the balance, however, as to whether you would like to see major series totally ignored or something there with spoilers in it, which as Walter (sorry but it looks wrong without a capital letter!) said is sometimes good to read after you have read the book yourself.

I would always welcome reviews by anyone and I am also happy to have more than one on major series, but a word of warning - I don't use pseudonyms for authors either in the Journal or the Cave! A review of a Famous Five book by William Shakespeare would somehow look wrong! :D The only pseudonym I have ever used in the Journal was for Carey Blyton when he reviewed his own book in Journal 5 using the name Peter Strangeways!
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Re: Website Additions

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

The reveiws I did were for the website, Tony! Am I one of the 'almost nobody!' :lol: :lol:

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Re: Website Additions

Post by Tony Summerfield »

You would probably come second equal in the list Julie as you have done 6 reviews, but I think you are in a select group of only three people (and one was a child!) who have done reviews specially for the Cave, so I think with Terry on 140, it is a fair comment to say 'almost nobody'! :D I am still very grateful for your reviews, Julie!!
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Re: Website Additions

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Thank you, Tony, from the Almost Nobody! :lol: :lol: :P

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Re: Website Additions

Post by Rob Houghton »

Terrys reviews are always interesting, and I feel as if they are beyond reproach as he has written so many - and good on him for that...I've noticed he doesn't often reveal the outcome of a book, but often he reveals a lot of detail that might spoil the book for a first time reader...I think its almost impossible not to, when writing a detailed review. Spoiler warnings are a good idea. For example, Terrys excellent review of Mr Twiddle gives away most of the plot of every story in the book, which personally I feel would slightly spoil my enjoyment if I was to read it, even though there are no big revelations!.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
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Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Website Additions

Post by Moonraker »

Thank you Eddie and Rob for your kind comments concerning my review of Hollow Tree House. I have always felt that the purpose of a review was to makes the reader want to buy and read the book. There is little point in buying the book if the complete plot is revealed. Obviously appetite-whetters need to be included, but not any outcomes.

I guess I must be a nobody, as I've only written one review!
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Re: Website Additions

Post by Rob Houghton »

Courtenay wrote: The Cave isn't only visited by die-hard collectors and fanatics who've read nearly everything Enid wrote and just want to refresh their memories or revisit old favourites - it's also an invaluable resource for people like me who are still unfamiliar with a lot of Enid's work and would like an idea of which books might be good to seek out and read next. But with all the spoilers and near-complete plot summaries, I'm wary of reading any of those reviews too thoroughly in case they ruin the book for me by telling me too much of what happens and how it ends.
It seems to me that the word 'review' is maybe being confused with 'blurb' regarding how much is revealed. Personally, if I hadn't read a book before, then I myself would just prefer a 'blurb' to summerise the book very briefly so I could get a flavour of the plot, rather than reading a more in depth review.

Perhaps the answer is to have a 'blurb' for each book and then the longer reviews underneath with spoiler warnings? For example

The Mystery of The Disappearing Cat - When Lady Candling's Siamese cat is stolen, its up to Fatty and co to discover who the theif is, before Mr Goon arrests the wrong person...'.

Then a longer analysis underneath maybe?
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Website Additions

Post by Courtenay »

Moonraker wrote:I have always felt that the purpose of a review was to makes the reader want to buy and read the book. There is little point in buying the book if the complete plot is revealed. Obviously appetite-whetters need to be included, but not any outcomes.
This is all I was trying to say earlier too, by the way - no disrespect meant to anyone who has written a complete-plot-revealing review. I do understand that a lot of our reviews in the Cave are lifted straight from articles written for the Journal, which of course go into more analysis of the plot than is usual for a "review" as such.

I completely agree, it's hard to find a balance between providing for those who want to find new books to read and those who are already familiar with many of these works and would enjoy a more in-depth discussion. But to be fair, the pieces in the Cave are described as reviews, and as Nigel says, the purpose of a review is to encourage people to read the book WITHOUT giving away the whole plot.

I would love it if there could be separate categories in the Cave for reviews (relatively short appetite-whetters with no major spoilers) and analyses (like many of the articles from the Journal that are currently included as reviews). But I'm well aware that would cause even more major headaches for Tony, so I understand if no-one wants to even contemplate that solution!! :wink:

(And I can't talk, anyway... having not written ANY reviews for the Cave, I suspect I must be a real nobody. :P )

Edit: Only just saw your post above, Robert - that's the sort of thing I mean! :D
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Re: Website Additions

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Robert Houghton wrote:It seems to me that the word 'review' is maybe being confused with 'blurb' regarding how much is revealed. Personally, if I hadn't read a book before, then I myself would just prefer a 'blurb' to summerise the book very briefly so I could get a flavour of the plot, rather than reading a more in depth review.

Perhaps the answer is to have a 'blurb' for each book and then the longer reviews underneath with spoiler warnings? For example

The Mystery of The Disappearing Cat - When Lady Candling's Siamese cat is stolen, its up to Fatty and co to discover who the theif is, before Mr Goon arrests the wrong person...'.

Then a longer analysis underneath maybe?
A good idea, Robert - do we have people who are willing to write some "blurbs"? Like you, if I hadn't read a book I wouldn't read anything except a short "blurb". I would only read a review or analysis after I'd read the book.
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Re: Website Additions

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Would that mean much more work for Tony, though Anita. Everyone would be sending in 'blurbs', as they only take a few minutes to write, and Tony may then get duplicates.

I suppose some could volunteer to do say - the F.O's series. Someone else the F.F. that way there wouldn't be any repeats, but would they go under a seperate section that has to be added. Or just be added beneath the already titles of the books in the cave?

Just a few thoughts there!

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Re: Website Additions

Post by Rob Houghton »

I would be happy to do some 'blurbs' if they only need to be as short as my example above, and if it wouldn't mean more work for Tony. I presume Anita could add these to the cave? Obviously as Julie says, it would need regulating so there weren't any duplicates. :-) I would be happy doing whatever I was told! 8)

I presume blurbs would be directly under the titles rather than in a separate section, with the more lengthy review/analysis further down the page so that people who only wanted to read the blurb needn't scroll down further unless they wanted to...?
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Website Additions

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Moonraker wrote:I guess I must be a nobody, as I've only written one review!
I'm afraid in the context that I have used that you don't even count as a 'nobody', Nigel, as you wrote your review for the Journal rather than the website, so I took it from the Journal! :D
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